Denmark’s Anders Lind has expressed admiration for the Lagos fans and the overall experience at the 2025 WTT Contender, promising to return after clinching the men’s singles title yesterday (Saturday).

Lind, the tournament’s top seed, defeated Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar 4-1 in the final at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Lagos, winning 11-4, 13-11, 10-12, 13-11, 11-7 in 42 minutes.

Despite the dominant scoreline, Lind admitted it was a tightly contested affair, highlighting the long-standing rivalry with his opponent.

“It was a very tough match. I know my opponent very well; we’ve played many times before. Every time we meet, the matches are very close. It’s always a 50-50 battle,” said Lind.

“He played well today, and honestly, it could have gone either way. I feel lucky to have won the match.”

The Dane was full of praise for the tournament’s organisation and atmosphere, describing his experience in Lagos as one of the most enjoyable on the WTT Series circuit.

“I think the overall conditions, the venue, and the setup were really nice. The hotel and everything around the event were much better this year, in my opinion,” Lind said.

“The people here are super friendly, and the crowd was amazing. They brought a great atmosphere to the sport, which we often lack in other places. I’m very happy, not just with the result, but with the entire experience.”

Fuelled by the support and vibrancy of the Lagos crowd, Lind confirmed he is already looking forward to a return next year.

“Yes, absolutely. I would love to come back,” he declared.

Lind also commended the level of competition at the Lagos event, pointing out that several highly talented players may be under-ranked due to a lack of tournament appearances but remain serious threats.

“There were a lot of dangerous players—some don’t have high world rankings because they haven’t played many tournaments, but they’re still amazing. On a good day, they can beat me or anyone else. The level here was definitely strong,” he said.

He noted that table tennis in Africa is being elevated by the passion and energy of the fans, describing the local support as an integral part of the tournament’s appeal.

“The crowd, the atmosphere, and the joy the spectators bring, it’s really something special. It’s a great feeling to play in front of such an enthusiastic audience, and it’s a pleasure to be part of this tournament,” Lind added.

With the title, Lind joins previous WTT Lagos champions Zhou Qihao (2023) and Dimitrij Ovtcharov (2024), and pockets $5,000 in prize money along with 400 ranking points.

In the other finals, India’s Sreeja Akula upset Japan’s second seed Honoka Hashimoto 4-1 in the women’s singles, while the Korean pair of Kim Nayeong and Ryu Hanna edged Egypt’s Hana Goda and Dina Meshref in a five-set women’s doubles final.

India also claimed the men’s doubles title through Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Akash Pal, while France’s Jules Rolland and Prithika Pavade took the mixed doubles crown.

The WTT Contender Lagos 2025 offered a total prize pool of $100,000, attracting top talent from across the globe to the Nigerian megacity.